About Jessica

From an early age growing up in St. Louis, MO, Jessica knew she wanted to work on TV. Her work ethic wasn’t the problem (“off the charts,” said teachers). Her shyness, on the other hand, was. “I struggled with three learning disabilities, which shockingly weren’t diagnosed until high school. I was teased regularly, and made fun of from everything ranging from my bowl haircut to studious nature. It was awful, but looking back, I know I wouldn’t have made it in this cut-throat business without that thick skin,” says Jessica. “Still, no wonder I was shy!”

But thanks to some great coaches, and a fresh start at the University of Arizona, Jessica was well on her way to realizing her full potential. “Now it’s so funny when I tell people I didn’t get bat-mitzvahed because I was too shy to get up on the beama. They don’t believe it. I’m proof that you can overcome just about anything if you put your mind to it.” And so she did.

Jessica graduated with honors from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Arts in Media and a minor in Journalism in three and a half years, all the while interning at NBC Sports-St. Louis, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the Young and the Restless, and the ABC and CBS affiliates in Tucson.

Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, her journalism career took a different path when Jessica was cast in the sitcom, Campus Ladies, executive produced by Curb Your Enthusiasm‘s Cheryl Hines and co-starring Jonah Hill, Sean Hayes, Jason Alexander and more. Jessica also trained at the Groundlings, which “actually ended up being the best class you could ask for now that I’m doing on-air segments for Glamour and various TV programs. It taught me to trust my instincts, and really listen to the other person.”

Once Campus Ladies was canceled after a two-year run, Jessica returned to her journalism roots and began writing for Celebuzz and appearing on camera for the TV Guide Network. That led to becoming AOL’s City’s Best Writer for the St. Louis (her hometown), Chicago and Los Angeles markets. What started off mainly just writing about lifestyle content became celebrity and sports interviews with those that resided, or were from, each city. “To be able to interview various athletes at the St. Louis Cardinals, Rams, Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Sox was a dream come true. I got to interview athletes about life on and off the field and joke around with them–you know, the hard-hitting stuff fans really want to know about.”

Those media connections came in handy when AOL merged with the Huffington Post, and later, for WHERE Los Angeles, CS Magazine, and the St. Louis Cardinals GameDay MLB Magazine (which enlisted–and still does– Jessica to write a monthly feature called “PostCARDS from Hollywood” where she interviews notable Cardinals fans like Andy Cohen Jenna Fischer, Cedric the Entertainer, and more about their love of the Redbirds.

“Mixing sports and entertainment is my favorite thing to do.”

Now, Jessica spends most of her time galavanting from red carpet events & set visits as GLAMOUR Magazine and Glamour.com’s West Coast Entertainment writer and contributor. “It’s more work than anyone could ever imagine, but it is beyond exciting, and it has made me realize it’s what I was meant to do.”

That energy and charisma was apparent to ABC, who noticed Kelly Clarkson and Robin Thicke having a blast with Jessica in on-camera pieces. “I played trivia with Kelly, and got Robin Thicke and John Legend to sing theme songs. If I’m enjoying an interview, I want it to rub off on the interviewee as well.” And so, “ABC called to see if I could start doing their guest panels every week for their Duets and Dancing with the Stars after-shows on ABC.com. That has been amazing.

I love writing and doing feature stories, but getting to interview and interact with talent is what excites me most. I want whoever I’m interviewing or talking with to walk away saying, ‘you know, I had an awesome time!”

In Jessica’s spare time, she watches ESPN and the MLB Network religiously (Jessica is also a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences–aka, the Emmys), loves traveling (“if only Bar Harbor, Maine and the Amalfi Coast were closer!”), and eating. “If you’re looking for the best burger, the best sushi, the best breakfast, or the best cupcake (hello, Sprinkles!), I will make you a list, and tell you everywhere to go! I just ask you bring me something back–or take me with you!”